Outbreak investigations--a perspective.
Outbreak investigations, an important and challenging component of epidemiology and public health, can help identify the source of ongoing outbreaks and prevent additional cases. Even when an outbreak is over, a thorough epidemiologic and environmental investigation often can increase our knowledge of a given disease and prevent future outbreaks. Finally, outbreak investigations provide epidemiologic training and foster cooperation between the clinical and public health communities.
Reingold
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School of Public Health, University of California,Berkeley 94720-7360, USA. reingold@uclink3.berkeley.edu
D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical